Nitroethylnitramines, in the field known as NENA-compounds, (nitratoethyl-nitramine), have recently been discovered to be potentially very useful ingredients in propellants and explosives (The NENA compounds constitute a large family of energetic plasticizers). This is due to an increasing demand for developing less sensitive propellants and explosive compositions. A large group of NENA-compounds are useful--methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl etc.. ##STR1##
wherein R.sup.1 is alkyl.
Alkyl-NENAs include a nitrate ester as well as a nitramino group, and as a consequence thereof, the NENA compounds are of high interest to both the pro-pulsion, rocket propultion, and military high explosives for low sensitivity ammunition. Alkyl-NENAs has numerous advantages as energetic materials. A well known property is the ability to readily plasticize cellulosic polymers (such as e.g. nitrocellulose) to yield a new type of double-base propellants. These double-base propellants offer very low molecule weight combustion gases (less than 20), which in turn provides for a higher driving force (impetus) at any given flame temperature than the conventional gun propellants or alternatively a lower flame temperature at any given impetus level. Alkyl-NENAs have also been demonstrated to be successful as ingredients in more modern propellant and explosive compositions, particularly as plasticizers in polymeric materials such as poly-NIMMO, HTPE and others.